Open For Business: Harrison Wine Vault

The owner of Harrison's newest business says he isn't quite reinventing the wheel with his new wine and liquor store, but with an unorthodox space and a set of new ideas, he has something more to offer than a traditional venue.

Anthony D’Arpino, owner of the brand new Harrison Wine Vault, has ambitious plans for a space previously occupied by a Washington Mutual Bank. The new store on the corner of Halstead Avenue and Purdy Street will soon offer wine courses and classes on a private table built downstairs, along with wine tastings at a permanent bar built on the main floor. Vines from an actual vineyard line the walls of the store near the entryway.

The look of the store alone is enough to perk the interest of even a casual wine drinker.

“I just wanted to create a store that I wanted to shop in,” said D’Arpino, who said the shape and location of the building were a big part of what brought him to Harrison.

The non-traditional shape of the building allows for three different levels—a main level at the entrance and two levels in the back split by stairways. The layout of the store lends itself to much more than a traditional liquor store, which is exactly what D’Arpino was looking for.

"I think the uniqueness of it really drew me to it," said D'Arpino. “I always wanted to do something more than just sell.”

Before opening, carpet floors were torn out and replaced with bamboo. Mahogany shelves were built from wall-to-wall and the old bank safe in the lower level was transformed into a temperature-controlled space for fine wines.

Down the line there are plans to add even more features into other nooks inside. But for now, D'Arpino is hard at work stocking the hundreds of shelves spread throughout the building.

“We’re still pulling it together, probably by the end of the week we’ll have everything stocked up,” D’Arpino said. “But we’re excited.”

After six years on the distribution end of the wine industry, D’Arpino said he decided to open his own store because of his passion and knowledge of quality wines. He said he fell in love with the business while pursuing his other passion as a minor league hockey player. He said he educated himself about wine during long bus rides on the hockey circuit.

“I just chose wine as something to read about, and it just kind of evolved from there,” he said.

While the market is still difficult for any new business, D’Arpino said he hopes to find success in Harrison by being sensitive to the financial constraints of customers while still sending them home with a quality product.

“People are still conscious of their dollars, but it was something that I had a good grasp of in the industry and working in different markets,” said D’Arpino. “People, no matter what price-point, whether it be $9 or $20, they’re still looking for great value.”

The Harrison Wine Vault opened for business less than a week ago, but D’Arpino said customers have been pleasantly surprised by the look of the place so far. He has regular few wine tastings and other events scheduled for the fall and said he thinks he has found the perfect location to get his business of the ground in Harrison's downtown.

"It's a great community," D'Arpino said. "Everything fell together."